St. Charles North Veterans Concert a school tradition

ST. CHARLES – Calling military veterans “very humble folks,” Brian Wis, the lead music teacher at St. Charles North, said he is pleased to provide an occasion at which the veterans aren’t able to deflect glory.

The seventh annual Veterans Celebration Concert is set for 6:30 p.m. Monday at North’s auditorium, at 255 Red Gate Road. Veterans are urged to come, and band members will perform an armed forces medley, which will incorporate the songs from different branches of service.

At that point, Wis said, veterans will be honored.

“They don’t have a choice,” Wis said. “When they hear their song, it’s their duty to stand. ... It’s a situation where they have to be recognized.”

The event is free. Register for tickets at www.scnmusic.com/veterans. Wis said there are some tickets remaining, adding that organizers will find a way to accommodate all veterans who wish to attend.

“There are parents ready to be in a standing-room-only situation,” he said.

The Veterans Day event has become a tradition at the school. Most schools have concert events, Wis said, and he realized that North’s was taking place near Veterans Day.

“It made sense to convert the event into a concert specifically for veterans,” Wis said.

That decision added some prestige to the event. School concerts might be attended by family members and friends, Wis said, but North’s event has turned into something more. It’s always on Veterans Day, he said, and this year, he expects more than 200 veterans to be in attendance.

The master of ceremonies will be WGN radio personality Orion Samuelson, who will introduce the groups and offer program notes. Also, one of the pieces performed will require a narrator, and Samuelson, who has an especially distinctive voice, will handle that task.

Know more

The Veterans Celebration Concert is set for 6:30 p.m. Monday at St. Charles North High School, 255 Red Gate Road, St. Charles. The event is free. Register for tickets at www.scnmusic.com/veterans.